Friday 26/07/91
26001 was named ‘Eastfield’ at ED at 1415. Meanwhile 26007 was being repainted in Dutch.

26006 and 26007 were transferred from FEPE to DCHB, leaving Trainload Coal workings without Class 26s for the first time in 25 years… 26007 was the last sector-allocated engine to work a coal train on the day before; however, 26002 (DCHA) spent a week at the end of August working to Cockenzie off Millerhill.

Thursday 10/10/91
26001 and 26007 are dragged by 26043 from Eastfield to Crewe, arriving at 1620.

26007 at Blackburn TZ

Saturday 12/10/91
26007+26043 1Z16 0700 Hereford to Carlisle; Crewe to Carlisle via the S&C. This was the load 10 ‘Wye Knot’ tour. The pair put up a good performance and were only a minute late into Carlisle. 007 and 043 were removed and returned to Ed later in the day light. 26001 remained at Crewe as a static exhibit at the Open Day.

Tuesday 14/01/92
26003, 26004, 26006, 26007
Hired out at various times in a rotating pair to FEPE (Trainload Coal) for MGR trains to cover for Class 37 shortages over an eight week period. Two to three additional SSuX trains ran daily between Longannet and Kincardine power station in Fife.

26004 and 26007 were the original hired pair, but 004 failed on ballast trip AT52 just before the lease started, and 26003 was sent with 007, arriving Thornton 15/01/92. 003 had just been fitted with new wheelsets. The pair then worked MGRs for several days until 26003 (which had been slow speed defective since 20/06/91) was swapped with 26006. 006 and 007 then worked the 6Z18 MGR shuttle until 27/01/92, when, on arrival at Eastfield for inspection, 26006’s slow speed unit was found to be defective as well!

So, 006 and 007 were split and 004 and 007 were teamed up as originally intended…They returned to Thornton on 28/01/92 and worked MGRs until the cessation of the working on 06/03/92.

Wednesday 03/06/92
26007 is borrowed to work the 7S52 1818ThO Sellafield to Fairlie nukex from Falkland Yard to Fairlie and 7M22 Fairlie to Falkland Yard.

Friday 21/08/92
26001 and 26007 are rolled out officially in their new as-near-as-possible-to-1958-livery at Eastfield shed during a short ceremony to mark the closure of the depot.

26001 was the first loco to be painted, entering Eastfield on 11/06/92. 26001 had a small West Highland Terrier logo directly above the Eastfield plates; 26007 had a standard size ScotRail blue West Highland Terrier, mounted above a plaque commemorating D5300 as the last loco to receive major attention at the depot. The logos and plaque were unveiled by two of the depot’s longest-serving staff, Paul Equi (welder and blacksmith) and Jim Kerr (painter).

26007 and 26001 at Oban TZ

Sunday 23/08/92
26007 (D5300) + 26001 (D5301)
0835 1Z48 Waverley to Oban; 1548 Oban to Waverley. The green machines had a day out West. Although it began badly: 007 had been left on a battery charger since Friday at Eastfield and would not start with its frazzled batteries. Eventually it fired, but the farce had just begun. When the outward train pulled into Helensburgh Upper, both the driver and fitter climbed out and, after a ten minute discussion, decided to disconnect the multi and drive the locos in tandem. Although this had a dramatic effect on the performance of the locos for the rest of the outward and return trip, they were still not giving 100%. After the trip, 007 returned light to Eastfield and 26001 took the ECS to Perth before running to Eastfield. The next day both were undergoing repairs at Eastfield.

The entire class is reallocated to Inverness after being transferred on paper three weeks before. Most light exams were carried out by Ayr, Grangemouth, Millerhill and Motherwell, with Inverness only doing C, D and Es.

Saturday 12/09/92
1Z52 Longannet to Culross; working numerous trips. It was an open weekend at Longannet power station and there was a free shuttle train service from Longannet to Culross, with a kettle powering to Longannet and 26007 powering to Culross.

26007 at Culross foreshore on 13/09/92 on the shuttle to Longannet. TZ

Sunday 13/09/92
26007 1Z52 Longannet to Culross trips; then 1700 Longannet to Dunfermline. Owing to engineering, the kettle was to return to Bo’ness via Perth. 007 banked twice, on the climb at Torryburn and between Elbowend junction and Dunfermline.

26007 at Culross on 13/09/92 on the shuttle to Longannet. JB

Monday 14/09/92
26007 2Z01 saloon Glasgow to Carlisle. It stabled overnight and returned the next day.

Friday 18/09/92
26001 had been selected to attend Thornaby Open Day, but was failed with flat batteries, so 26007 went instead. It spent three days there and then returned under its own power to Millerhill.

Wednesday 03/03/93
26007 hauled the last leg of 5Z31 Tyseley to Glasgow Works, from Mossend. This was load 12 of condemned DMUs.

Wednesday 17/03/93
26007 worked the 5Z76 1615 Perth to Mossend ECS of coaches bound for Shields Road and tyre turning. 26006 took over for the short trip to Shields Road.

Thursday 18/03/93
26003+26007 worked 5Z28 1626 Inverness to Perth load 8 ECS (ScotRail coaches going on short-term loan to Regional Railways North West at Edge Hill) and returned light.

Thursday 25/03/93
26005+26036 came off Perth to rescue 37294 which had been running light to Inverness and failed on the climb to Druimuachdar. 005 took the T to Inverness, 036 returned to Perth with the rescue crew.

26007 made a rare visit to the Burghead branch (between Forres and Elgin). The purpose of the trip was to place two coaches at Burghead Grain terminal for the following day’s site meeting between management and staff with regard to future staffing levels of future services to the branch.

26007 at Burghead 26 3 93

Friday 26/03/93
26007 returned to the Burghead branch with four coaches as a VIP special. The four coaches were meant to simulate the shunting of grain polybulks. After the meeting, 007 returned to Inverness with load 6.

At the end of March, 007 was stopped for an E exam and air tank work.

Monday 17/05/93
26007 made two route-learning runs between Dingwall and Ardgay, using its RETB equipment for the first time.

On the return, problems were encountered at Stromeferry (No Ferry), and the locos were driven in tandem to Strathcarron. From there, 26001 wasn’t providing any power, and 26007 was also losing power! Discussions with maintenance at Inverness helped the traincrew rectify the problems and the train continued.

Thursday 17/06/93
26001+26007 visit the Kyle line again, but with the 7H04 0730 Inverness to Strathcarron ballast, returning light.

Again there were problems on the return; in fact, a Class 37 was despatched to Dingwall as a standby. It wasn’t needed, but 2H86 was 40 late back in Inverness. The connecting 2000 sprinter to Glasgow wasn’t held…

Most faults with the pair were down to a faulty brake valve, regulating air leaks, multi faults and some other electrical problems: all down to the age of the locos and last, long-distant works dates! 001 also had a recurring speedo problem, largely down to the way the slow speed equipment had been ripped out at Eastfield…

Saturday 14/08/93
26001+26007
1Z39 ‘Waverley Wizard’ railtour; from Carlisle to Waverley, via Dumfries, Annbank. Paisley, Shields Junction, High Street Junction and Falkirk High. After a quick run round, they took the train back to Carlisle via the WCML, managing 85mph down Beattock and a 20 minute early arrival into Carlisle. They then returned to Motherwell, reaching Inverness on 17/08, where 001 received attention to its faulty speedo.

Thursday 02/09/93
26001 ran light from Inverness to Millerhill, en route to the Worksop Open Day, but failed at Culloden. 26007 was sent to rescue; but eventually continued alone to Millerhill (and on to Worksop) while 001 limped home.

Monday 06/09/93
26007 arrived back at Millerhill from Worksop in the company of 37692. Later that day both 007 and 032 arrived back separately at Inverness.

Thursday 23/09/93
26007 was sent from Motherwell to Corkerhill to pick up the saloon, and then ran to Queen Street. From there, it left as 2Z01 at 0740, heading for Inverkeithing where it was due to give way to 60009. However, 007 failed at Gartshore with a possible TM flashover. 37167 was sent from Eastfield to drag 007 off the main line into the loop; then 37184 came off Thornton to continue the journey. 37167 hauled 007 back to Motherwell.